Kindred spirits
by SkySorrow
Summary: They say that when someone with great inner strength dies in a powerful rage, a curse is made. They also say that when two curses become one and two kindred spirits met, the evil will become phenomenal, and everyone shall know their names...
1. Prolouge

**The wandering witch**

Over a blackened valley, down a winding path,

over rivers deep, and shadows half,

down, down, down past the dying trees, through the starch bare forest,

past the empty huts and long lost village, past the insane old man whom the clawing branches test and tease.

To an abandoned clearing, where nothing dares grow,

to a wondering figure, lost amongst the mounds of scarlet snow.

Draped in phantoms dark, blind as creatures of the ground,

trailing slowly through memories of past, reliving the pain without a sound.

With a heart as heavily as an iron create, and skin as broke as tree bark,

a mind in such a deranged state, tormented by the singing lark.

In the branch hung above the open wound, the bird chirps and chatters, singing along to the lonely tune, as like a punishment to the soul it batters.

Wild hair sprouting in all directions of the wind, as long, yellow broken claws scratch out shapes on the floor, a tattered clock holding fast to where its pinned, a face that may have once been beautiful, but sadly is no more.

She is the finale survivor, the last of a town once live,

the lone victor who stares at the drop, who had a promise to live but would rather take the dive.

In the abandoned village further along, she had once been resident and most welcome of sights, a mention of song, of whom many men would stare at and long.

Many had appealed but taken none, for as though unmarried but blessed with a child, the others ignored her but with some, their patience had gone.

When a hideous plague hit the people of the forest, spoiling fruit of the trees and wiping out crops of every field, but expect one, as if it were a test.

When the starving, confused, neighbours saw the loners fields still growing thick full, the more bitter of untouched men saw an chance to take control of the pull.

Shouting "WITCH CRAFT" they stormed the quiet land, the wave of easily convinced villagers filling gap behind them, they burst in fast and dragged the accused out onto the sand, spitting accusations, with a mild thought of regret, they all agreed to condemn.

Despite her tortured state, she still refused to accept the men's privet demands, driving their rage to untold hate, when they then decided to try a different bait.

They convinced the others around them that merely killing this witch alone would not end the darkness that she,d brought upon the land, they said she was too evil, too strong for even her own death to free the infertile sand.

They decided that the only way to end it, was to cause as much pain to her as she had them, then at last the terrible plague would disperse, having done its bit.

Through out the dreadful period many women had lost their children to the hunger, and through watching their dreadful pain, the death dealers found their punishment for the evil witch who caused it.

Then their turned attention to the tiny child, who,d been to left to live alone after her mother's kidnap, and dragged her down to a clearing of some distance, where they made her sit.

They took a cloth and threw it down across her face, when they pressed it tight, while she scratched and clawed helplessly at its base.

They held it firm until at last, her struggles ceased, then they left her there and strode smugly back to town where her mother was released.

Upon her disclosure they told she was free, that her punishment had been dealt, and in a suspicious reply she demanded the location that her child had been kept.

And with evil satisfaction they told she,d been sent back to hers mothers master, to pay for her ungodly crimes, which sent the woman racing through the woods, till she finally came upon the still shape and wept.

The tiny body lay out flat upon the hardened ground, curls of raven hair thrown out around it, its pale, freckled skin turned white in the glowing moonlight, and sky blue eyes staring lifelessly up at the fat full moon.

The woman, the almost identical adult image of the dead child, threw herself upon the cold body and cried until she had no more tears left to give, but she did not let go.

Even when her own starving body began to shut down and the form beneath her fingers began to bloat and rot, she did see nothing but the agony of her woe.

Mean while a storm of great power had spurned above her head and forks of brilliant lightning struck down the trees around her, and a fearsome fire had quickly spread, reaching the village she had once called home in a matter of minutes, killing the majority of the population within it, trapping inside their homes those who were too slow flee, slowly choking them on the fumes that leaked within, while the flames outside took the others, scorches them alive as they did most witches, expect for a small few who fled with nothing more than the clothes on their backs to the outer rims of the forest where the flames were weak.

As, in the flaming circle of fire in which the dying woman sat oblivious still to all around her, even when a burning tree began to lean in her direction, and finally fell down, crushing her fragile form and ending her unfortunate life, set loose her spirit which still continues to wander the remainders of the broken land looking for the child that she does seek.

When the few remaining frightened villagers returned to the scene after the fires end, they saw the burnt corpse buried deep under the the darkened trees heavy bend.

And one detail in all, they noticed the most, the eyes were long gone,blinding the ghost.

To this very day, the witch does wander the blackened world, navigating by sound, lost forever, searching for something that can never be found.

So if you,re ever to wander the wood, and you think you see something dark wander past, be sure to stand silent and still in the spot that your stood, or else the next sound you make may well be your last.

Beware, the witch of the woods, at the same time a most pitiful and terrifying of sight, but never let your feelings move you to help her in her plight.

For the grief fuelled rage that has swallowed her will never let go, and should she hear you approach her, she may think you one of her child's murders, and a tempt to punish you for her woe's.

Never approach her, never let her know your there, never let her touch you, or she'll drag you down into her despair.

Oh woe is the lonely witch of the wood, doomed forever to walk down the same ash filled path, forever wandering of what would have been, or could of, never again to smile or laugh...


	2. Chapter 1

**Chapter One – **

**Northern Scotland, Deep woodland – November, 1856**

Darkness. A flash of light. Even the brightness of the forked lightning that struck the sky did not light up the woody ground below.

Shouts and yells of angry mobs follow the women and the children, even a few old men, as they race, terrified up past the blackened trees as fast as their sore, bare and bleeding feet would allow.

A short, scraggy man with salt and pepper grey hair cries out weakly as he is hit in the back by something thrown and falls down onto the leafy floor where he tries desperately to stumble back onto his unsteady feet. A young girl with bedraggled dark hair in a ruined rag that used to be a grey nightgown looks back briefly over her shoulder and recognises old Tom, a kind and gentle man who used to be revered by all locals for his loving and trustful nature, always willing to lend a hand to anyone who needed it, but not anymore. Not now.

The girl slows slightly, hesitating about the choice to help him. The decision is soon made for her. The shadow of figures rises up the forest slope and the group rises with the shadows they cast, all clad in dark clothing and heavy boots, all carrying pitchforks and thick tree branches, and the girl is forced to flee as the group finally appear and launch themselves at the exhausted and petrified old man, beating him with their makeshift weapons and surrounding him until he appears to have been swallowed up by the group itself, as one whole, still, breathing mass.

She hears footsteps rush her way as she turns again to run, and something hits the ground softly, upon the place that her feet had been as she leaps away from them and tears off into the surrounding wood. Beyond her, the girl can make out the thin, wispy figures of the people she had fled with. Others from similar backgrounds, all accused the same as she, dragged away and locked up in their sticking pit by those they had once called neighbours.

She picks up her speed and races forward till she is almost few a metres behind the first tiny, filthy figure that run in front of her. She sees little Doris Cane, only a babe of barely four years, turned over by her own parents who suspected her to be of the black magic, to the cruel tortures and tests that had waited her, slip and fall head long over a pile of rotted, fallen leaves that stood nearly half as tall as she, and thrash around wildly in the slippery muck. The girl skids to a stop, knowing all too well that it is dangerous to do so with the monstrous mob so close behind her, but unable to bare abandoning the little child and run on past to her own possible escape willingly, and takes a hold of her tiny little arm, pulling her to her feet.

Together they start too raced forward, but the little girl cries out in pain and fear, her light, feathery hair billowing around her and she comes to a sudden halt as a huge gloved hand latches onto her other shoulder roughly and two young women's decent comes suddenly to a juddering stop.

The small child's high pitched screams ring through the thin, still air and the girl smacks the intruder's large, husky body with all her might, swearing and cursing fiercely, but her tired blows bounce pathetically off of his broad shoulders with little effect.

The man glares at her with devilish eyes and raising a huge, scarred theist, hits her directly in her pale, battered face and sends her sprawling down, her head spinning faster than a floating leaf in a violent stream. More figures crowd in around them, alerted by their vast amounts of echoing noise and as the girl lays still, groaning softly on the mud ground, the man hoists the little girl up, over his shoulder, ignoring her weak struggles against him and proceeds to walk back towards the path he had come. As the dancing shadows close in around her, the last thing that the girl remembers as she is kicked roughly onto her side, is the sound of that little babe's shrill, sobbing voice screaming her name as the darkness slowly closes in and all is black…

**England, London centre, The Museum of Natural History – 2****nd**** August, 2014 **

**Kenzi's POV. **

The car horns bleated loudly and the streets bustled with people coming and going here and there to their different destinations under the hot mid-August sunshine. The traffic jammed up further than the human eye could see, stuck in a solid line of furious drivers and pissed off motorcyclists, slowly inching their way forward every half hour or so, the toxic fumes that rose up from the still engines creating a sort of grey mist around the wheels and underneath of the vehicles. Meanwhile as the swarm of people that pushed their way along the street beside the road that were not much better off, a lone leaf fell from a nearby tree that had nearly over grown its surrounding metal cage which almost encased the thick wooden trunk, only centimetres of space between it and the bars.

The solitary little, crisp, green leaf floated down slowly and came to land on the shoulder of a young, tall woman with long, dark, coopery red hair wound tightly in a messy bun, who shoved and fought her way through the buzzing crowds that clustered around her towards the little park that stretched just off to the left of her. Kenzi Renton clambered up to till she stood at the top of the stony steps that lead down into the grassy space around the side of the museum of natural history, its grounds dotted with various groups of people, some sitting on the grass with picnics while others stood together in tightly huddled groups reminding her strangely of ants farms, and raised a perfectly manicured hand to her forehead to shield her light eyes from the tense light and glanced around.

She spotted the lounging figure sat with its back to the thick bushes that grew on set, a pair of bright pink and neon blue head phones sat proudly over the thin bob of sandy blonde hair, streaked with two matching stripes of pink and blue amongst the fringe, turned all the way up as usual, no doubt and sly smile spread across her bright ruby painted lips. Stepping carefully down the worn grey steps, immaculate heels clacking together, she wound her way confidently across the side of the path, not bothering to try and creep around behind the other woman instead, knowing that she wasn't going to look up. She kept going until she was a couple feet away from the dozing punk, then stop, knelt up on the rough stone she was sat on, leant forward, grabbed the sides of the head phones, pulled them apart and shouted at the top of her voice.

"FASHION POLICE! You're under arrest for wearing trashy clothes in public!" The other girl yelped and leapt up into the air in shock, tripped and landed rather comically flat on her bum on the grass, with her legs kicking wildly up in the air.

"Kenzi!" She bellowed at the tall woman, her face flushed red, more with embarrassment than anger. The other woman burst out laughing as the punk got to her feet, wiping the grass and dirt stains off the back of her torn, baggy jeans.

"You cow!" Kenzi had now doubled over with laughter, the brightly coloured head phones still clutched in one hand.

"Sorry Lec." She gasped between fits of giggles.

"It was just too much to resist." The punk snatched her phones free from her and switched them off, glaring at Kenzi all the while as she just fell back onto the stone seat, laughing helplessly, standing up at one point to wipe her eyes with the sleeve of her posh, red blazer. Both took no notice of the strange stares they were receiving from the people sat or scattered around them. Electra just sighed and shook her head slowly.

"So," Kenzi asked once she had recovered enough to speak clearly.

"Where has our one and only original Goth girl crept off to, to go and hex the next local councillor?" The other girl looked sheepish for a moment, hands stuffed into the pockets of her bright yellow tank dress, then offered up a shrug. Kenzi got the message. Electra had fallen asleep at some point again and woke up alone.

"I am right here." A voice called out from behind the bushes. They were brushed apart with a quiet rustling sound and a third girl in a long, black top, loose boot-cut jeans and Sky blue high-tops pushed her way out and jumped down to join the other two women.

"Dare I even ask what you were doing back there?" Kenzi raised a curious eyebrow, multiple scenarios running through her mind. "Found a caterpillar crawling up Lec's arm after she dozed off waiting for you" She jumped down and landed neatly with a little thump on the grass.

"Knew her first reaction would be to scream blue murder so though I'd better take it off her and put it back in the bushes before she woke up" She dusted her hands off on her dark jeans. "Though by the sounds of things just now, she must have found another one."

Kenzi chuckled darkly. "Nope. That one was me. Caught her dozing, couldn't resist it." She ignored the dirty look the punk shot her.

The Goth just nodded slowly. "That would have been my second guess."

A sharp, warm breeze blew through the square making them all flick their hair free from their faces. The Goth's loose, black top flapped out behind her in the wind like a patterned flag of dark blue, black vined roses and even the short sleeves that covered her shoulders twitched.

"Come on." Kenzi elbowed her gently in the ribs. "Don't know bout you two, but I could kill for a decent espresso." She turned and stated to lead the way back across towards the stony steps. The other two looked at each other, shrugged and followed suit.

"What took you so long anyway?" The Goth called after her, pulling her long, curly, black hair free from her eyes all the way.

"My tube was late." Came the reply. Electra snorted with laughter as they climbed the steps out of the garden.

"You missed it more like, probably because you were too busy chatting up the cute new ticket holder at Waterloo station!" Kenzi's pale hazel eyes went round and wide and she threw her friend an indignant glare whilst blurting out, "I was not!"

Her two companions let out a cheer and high five each other cackling with laughter. "And denial is the clincher", They both burst out together.

Kenzi sighed as she fought her way back through the crowded streets. "Well okay, so what if I DID miss the tube and so what if I WAS talking to him at the time, that doesn't mean I was chatting him up, just being friendly. I swear, if there WAS any chatting up going on at the time, then it was all from his side I promise you, I had nothing to do with it, Electra!"

"Uh hu". Kenzi felt Electra's eyes to roam up and down her tall, athletic body, from her knee high, red leather, high-heeled boots to her thin, black, fish-net tights, up to her short, fitted, burgundy pencil skirt and skin tight red blouse that stretched rather tightly over her robust (and braless) chest, to her cropped matching burgundy blazer and finally, to her long wild hair that she had scrunched back into a messy bun, her fringe held in place at the top of her head by a dark red hair pin with bits of frilly, black satin and netting sewn onto it around the edges, with slightly heavy but perfectly done make-up.

"And you're completely sure that you've done nothing what so ever to bring on all this unwanted male attention?"

Kenzi huffed at her and would have swung round to smack her playfully if they weren't packed so tightly in. The three were practically rubbing shoulders with everyone around them. Behind them, the third member of their party just simply giggled.

"Anyway, what _I _would rather know is way Hope was creeping around in bushes like some kind of pervie tree hugger?" Kenzi challenged as they trudged up the heaving high-street.

"Oi! Don't say it like that! I wasn't doing anything I wouldn't normally do!" The other girl turned practically spat her answer out in reply, so suddenly that she nearly tripped over when the man pushing past her pulled away from her in surprised.

"Opss, er... sorry!" She muttered to the young mum with the toddler in the green pushchair that she nearly crashed into. Her friends just smiled smugly as she rightened herself and staggered forward on unsteady feet.

"So what WERE you doing then?" Kenzi asked, tilting her head innocently, a handful of fiery curls dropping loose from her bun with the movement.

"I told you." Hope insisted, stepping quickly until she fell back in step with the other two, jostled constantly by the thickening crowd.

"I was just getting rid of the caterpillar that was crawling up Lec's arm." Electra just shook her head, her headphones swinging around her neck and becoming hooked over one shoulder.

"You could have just flicked it off into the bush behind me." She commented, lifting one arm awkwardly to fix her headphones.

"Yeah well I thought I saw a cat or something." The thick stream of people around them started thinning out as they neared the less clustered lanes, but didn't disperse completely.

"Well at least we can breathe now." Electra commented as she collapsed onto a nearby bench.

"I'll get the coffee." Kenzi disappeared round the corner, flicking her hair out behind her making more strands fall loose.

She saw Hope gave Electra a nudge with her foot as she plonked herself down next to her. Electra threw some rude comments her way that Kenzi missed and she trudged on round the corner to the coffee stall at the bottom of the lane.

She brought the coffee without incident, balancing the three hot cups awkwardly and started to make her way back. She slowed as she approached her friends who were caught up in an argument of some kind. The opportunity to eavesdrop was too great to resist. Maybe she'd hear something that she could use as teasing ammo later.

She slowed her pace even further, dropping into a disused gutter that was shadowed by the tall building beside her and stopped a short distance away for them to listen. She couldn't have found a more perfect spot in the post-modern street. Though not exactly a hiding spot, they would easily be able to see her if they just looked up and stared hard enough but it was good enough for her to be able to see and hear them clearly without sitting right on top of them, and with any luck they'd be too caught up in their own conversation to notice her straight away.

"So what the plan have you got for the week away then?" Electra mumbled through yawns. Hope hooked her foot over her knee and fiddled with her shoelace.

"I was thinking maybe travelling a little bit further than normal this time?" She glanced around sheepishly for a moment but somehow, incredibly failed to notice her friend hovering nearby.

"How much further?" Electra glanced at her suspiciously. Hope breathed deeply.

"How does Scotland sound?" Her friend's wide green eyes and irrupt splutter was an answer in itself.

Kenzi took this opportunity to make her entrance. This defiantly wasn't a conversation she wanted to be left out on if they were discussing their holiday.

"Bloody cold!" Both girls jumped as a voice boomed at them from across the road and Electra nearly fell off the bench onto the grass.

"Please tell me that's not where we're going for our girl's week off." She trotted over to them, swinging her hips widely as she walked, purposely catching the attention of the man cycling down the road behind her, juggling three steaming brown paper cups in her hands in front of her. Hope scowled up at her through her fringe as a strong gust of wind sent her long, raven hair fluttering in all directions.

"I've been talking to a few pen pals out there and there's meant to be this huge, wild pagan/Celtic festival happening out there towards the northern rims. Craft stall's, dances, performers, the works." She propped herself up cautiously.

"I thought it would be fun to try something different for once, instead of just driving down to Brighton and getting pissed like we normally do." She took her cup from Kenzi and sipped it carefully, wincing as it burnt her tongue.

"What's wrong with what we normally do?" Electra swung her lycra-clad legs lazily over from the corner of the bench.

"When you're pissed, you're pissed, the scenery barely registers anyway. What's the point in driving all the way out there where it's bound to be absolutely freezing to do something we can do nearby where it's warmer?"

Hope rolled her eyes as she took another swig of her drink. "Um maybe cus I was planning on doing just a little bit more than getting completely pissed for once?"

Kenzi sighed and threw herself down between the two of them, causing them to shuffle up to the uncomfortable edges. "Well I guess as long as we can still get a good drink there as well then we may as well go. I don't really care that much about anything else, except maybe finding some new hot guys to talk too. There ARE going to be young guys at this thing right, not just the old farts?"

"If my friend is right, some of them will be dancing nearly nude, for a couple of the rituals." Kenzi light up immediately and Hope bit her lip, as if to keep from laughing.

"Right I am defiantly in! Lec?"

"They have some really cool bands playing, the whole things basically like a hippie musical festival, worshipping Mother Nature through music and all that." Hope put in lightly. The punk just glanced from one to the other in dismay, then slumped back and sighed dramatically.

"Why do I feel like I am going to regret this?" She rubbed her face with the palms off her hands a couple of times then just froze, her hands still covering her eyes.

"Alright then. Why not? Since it's your turn to pick anyway. I mean what's the worst that can happen right?" She groaned as Hope and Kenzi cheered and slapped their palms together in delight. Hope pulled out her laptop from her satchel and continued to dribble on about the various events and she could practically hear her friend's thoughts as she watched her knuckle the sleep out of her eyes. _This was gonna be a long week. _She just smirked at her triumphantly as she sipped her Espresso. _Tough luck Lec. _The three of them finished their drinks and headed as one towards the nearest underground entrance. They brought their tickets and loaded onto the next tube that pulled up.

Kenzi couldn't help the smile that slowly spread across her lips as her friends droned on about this and that, annoying each other constantly with their very different opinion on whatever topic they'd started on. Normally their endless banter would irritate her senseless but today, even though she wasn't actually listening to their conversation, or taking part in it, it seemed to fill her with calm a sense of familiar purpose, like everything was finally beginning to fall back into place.

They rode for a few minutes, swaying with the movement of the tube, clinging tightly to the support poles like pole dancers to avoid falling forward into the laps of the people sat down next to them. That soon set her off into a slightly less innocent train of thought.

A particularly hard thump sent them lurching forward and Electra, who had been in deep conversation with Hope about the latest Marvel movie, lost her grip of her rail fell head long onto the man sat on her right. Her face was scarlet when she shuffled back to her feet and faced them again. She caught Kenzi's grin and pouted at her sourly. Kenzi just carried on smiling and stuck her tongue out at her cheekily. Electra turned her back to her and huffed as Hope carried on chatting obliviously. _Maybe this will be fun after all. _


	3. Chapter 2

**Chapter Two –**

**England, Bournemouth, Bus Coach and Train Station – 2****nd**** August, 2014**

**Electra's POV.**

The train juddered to a halt causing Electra Newton to snap awake as she instinctively tightened her grip on the arms of her seat, squeezing until the inside of her knuckles and the fleshy underside of the bottom of her fingers hurt.

The space inside the cramped metal carriage filled with the sounds of feet scrapping carpet and the mumbling of people as they shuffled their way forwards towards the various exits.

God, how she hated trains.

The crampt, air-tight carriage's, the constant shoulder to shoulder rubbing of strangers, the unnatural shuddering of the floors. The journey into work in Brixton was always a waking nightmare. She was extremely grateful she hadn't had to make the return trip alone.

A hand touched her shoulder, interrupting her trail of thought and making her jump. She nearly yelped.

"Jesus Lec, calm down. It's only me." Electra glanced up to see Kenzi's concerned face looking down at her.

She let out an audible sigh and sank back down into the seat. "Sorry. Dozed off." She offered a sheepish smile but her energy wasn't in it. Apparently it showed.

Kenzi gave her a dubious look but didn't comment. "Well better get moving then. The train terminates here".

Electra nodded, pulled herself stiffly to her feet, grabbed her bag from the shelf above her head and staggered after her as she led the way between the rows of seats towards the door where Hope was already waiting for them, her and Kenzi's bags at her feet.

They hopped off the train, dragging their luggage, made their way up over the bridge and down, past the ticket booth and out into the car park outside.

"So where are we heading anyway?" Electra asked through the yawn that was forcing its way out of her mouth.

Hope gave her a sympathetic glance over her shoulder before replying. "I've asked the people we brought the van from to leave just up here opposite the National car rental's set up for us to pick it up".

They crossed the car park in a few dozen strides and stoped about a yard off from the rental store. All three raised their hands to their foreheads and simultaneously looked left, right, then back again to the store.

"So?" Kenzi's voice boomed across the open space. "Any idea's as to exactly where they parked it?" The silence that followed was an answer in itself.

Hope sighed and flipped open her mobile, slowly turning in an 360* circle, pale eye's eyes scanning the vehicles around them as she did so. "I'll ring them up and find out what's going on."

Electra watched her flick through her contacts list through sleepy eyes and she could feel herself swaying as she raised herself up on the balls of her feet.

She was so tired. The double shifts she'd been doing at work recently had really started to take their toll. She shivered. She'd been looking forward to this get-away for over a month. For a chance to relax with the girls and catch up on her rest and the opportunity to do something non-work related just because she wanted too.

She was snapped out of her trance by the sound of someone beeping their horn at them and she looked round, catching Kenzi's grin and Hope's relieved smile, to see the huge white caravan driving towards them being pulled by a battered, dull yellow, old fashioned Chevy. Hope waved it down and spoke to the plump, red-faced woman in the purple tank-top who stuck her head out of the side window.

"We thought you weren't coming!" They had to step back as the woman parked in the lot next to them. She swung the door open and squeezed her lumpy body out onto her stumpy legs. The appraising look she gave them didn't exactly fill Electra with confidence.

"You Hope Temple, Electra Newton and Kenzi Renton?" The southern drawl in her voice pronounced it, "_Ope Temple, Elaytra Newon an Kenze Renon_?" The term's red-neck, hill-billy and yobbo sprang to mind.

"Yes. And your Edna Wells?" Electra didn't really want to shake the woman's large meaty hand but her upbringing kicked in before she could stop herself. She tried not to cringe as the woman's sweaty palm clasped her own.

The woman nodded slowly in response. "I am." It came out as, "_I yam._" Electra resisted the urge to wipe her hand on her trousers when the woman released her. "You girl's got the money for this thing?" "_You irl's got da Moaney fur this ing?"_

Hope stepped forward and pulled out and wad of cash from folded up in a little plastic change bag. "Its £1500 right?" She handed Edna the money. She pulled it out and flicked through it suspiciously. "And not a penny less." "_An not a pennie lass." _She continued to flick through the wad for another moment or two before she seemed to be satisfied.

She gave them a brisk nod and reached into the side pocket of her huge baggy tan cargo pants and drew out a pair on keys. "Them little small one is for the trunk and the bigger one with the black casing is for the door." "_Them ittle one is fur da trunk an the beggar one with da blake casing is fur da door._

She handed them to Hope then turned and wobbled over to the back of her car and set about unhooking it from the van. Then without a word, she straightened up (as much as her stinted body would allow), loaded her heavy frame into the car and turned the key making the engine come alive and rumble. Electra tried very hard not to chuckle as she watched the bottom of the car sink another couple of inches lower to the ground when the woman climbed in. They stood and watched in silence as she drove away.

Electra heard Kenzi whistle and glanced around to see her circling the caravan with slow, exaggerated movements. "Well how bout that then?" Her head turned Hope's way. "She's all ours?"

Hope stepped up to join her, shaking her head. I can't believe that woman created that ad. She looks like she wouldn't even be able to fine the computer mouse wedged up between the checks of her ass, let alone use the computer!" Kenzi replied with something that Electra didn't catch. Her head was spinning faster and faster and she was almost sure that she come hear some sort of quite pounding inside her ears. She felt her mobile buzz inside her pocket and instinctively fished it out in a flash and flipped it open, hitting the view button hopefully. As usual the disappointment stabbed through her like a knife when it was just the phone company's name that came up in the from box. She continued to stare blankly at the device as bitter past memories swam through her mind.

Despite the fact that her family had disowned her nearly five years ago and she had believed herself to have long since buried all emotional attachments with her ex-strangled parents, she couldn't help the deep, desperate longing that sparked within her every time her phone or mobile range with the vaguest of hopes that it might be them. She still had contact with some of her siblings, the older ones who had all left home themselves and were free from their parents influence. She had tried to begin with, to keep in touch with her younger siblings, in secret, but of course her parents had found out in the end and been furious. She knew what it was like to be at the end of that temper, especially her father's and it wasn't pleasant. She hadn't wanted them to get hurt because of her needs so she'd soon ended all contact with them and had spoken to any of them since. She knew it was for the best, but she still couldn't help but long for the odd text every now and then, just to know that their still alright but no. It'd been over four years since she'd last heard from them.

"Hey Lec!" Hope's voice broke through her daze and snapped her back to attention. She snapped her phone shut, slid it back into her pocket and glanced back at them. They were both staring at her. "You okay?"

Electra shook herself. The pain in her head had become excruciating and was increasing by the minute. "Yeah I'm fine, just knackered." She hauled her bag over her shoulder and took the door key from Hope. "You two make up your minds, I'm gonna turn in. Let me know when you've come up with a driving router."

She unlocked the door and pushed into the small space, dumping her bag onto the first flat surface she could find and threw herself down onto the bed at the far end. She was out cold before her head hit the pillow.

**England, Shirley, A34, - 2****nd**** August, 2014 – Midnight**

**Hope's POV**

_The crooked tree's fly past my window as the car drives on down the black motorway. I stare at them blankly as the crackle from the radio turns into an ear-tickling buzzing as dad turns the dial next to the dash board another notch to the right._

"_Will you just leave it alone?" Mum sighs in frustration, flicking her blonde fringe free from her eyes with one hand, keeping the other planted firmly on the wheel._

"_I'm sure it was working a second ago, hang on I'll try another setting." Dad doesn't look up as he adjusts the dial again. Another burst of static answered him, louder this time, making us all cringe. He turns it down again and this time mum's free hand reaches across and slaps his away lightly. Dad pouts and turns away from her while she just rolls her eyes and looks into her wing mirror instead. She catches my gaze in the reflection and smiles warmly at me with her beautiful sky-blue eye's. Dad continues to pout. I bite back a grin._

"_We're nearly there anyway love, just a few more miles." She tells him gently, adding under her breathe, "Wherever THERE is."_

_That surprises me. I assumed my parents knew where we were going when they walked back into our flat from work earlier today and announced we were going away for a little while. That in its own right was a shock. We NEVER go on holiday! Mum and dad's job just doesn't allow it. And FYI their not exactly the most organised of people. MY ROOM is probably the tidiest in the house, excuse the school revision notes adorning all the walls and surfaces. Holidays take ages to plan for properly. Apparently that wasn't going to be a problem. Despite their best efforts to be cheerful and fun I could tell instantly from their half-worried faces and jerky movements that this was defiantly NOT a holiday. I nearly asked them there and then what the hell was going on but something about the way they looked at me and each other made me hold my tongue. So instead I packed my things quietly, climbed into the car with them and we drove off in silence._

_The head lights of the car light up a startled fawn hovering near the side of the road that takes off back into the forest as we drive by. I watch it disappear and state after it for a few moments before I look back to my parents again and finally summon up the strength from somewhere, after hours of uncomfortable silent driving to ask what I've wanted to, since getting into the car. "So where exactly are we going then?"_

_The words catch in my throat as my parents exchange sharp glances with each other but I spit them out anyway. I waited for my answer. Eventually dad spoke. "You know how we and all our work friends once said we'd all go out somewhere together with our families and do something together?"_

_The Adams apple in his throat was doing over time, bobbing up and down quickly. "Yeah." I comment quietly. "Is THAT where we're going, somewhere to meet them?" Mum answered me this time. "Yes we're heading down to meet up with them in Leeds, then we're going to go somewhere with them."_

_I thought I saw the beginnings of tears form in the corners of her eyes. That really caught me off guard. Mum is the toughest person I know. She's strong, beautiful, and smart. I've lost count of the amount of times I've wished to be more like her. She NEVER cries! Something was seriously wrong and now I was starting to become fearful. I know it was plaintive to ask but I needed to know._

_I opened my mouth to ask again but dad beat me the punch line. "It's going to be alright you know. I know you're nowhere near stupid and you think there's something going on and you're right there is." I didn't miss sharp look mum gave him and silently encouraged him to carry on. He didn't disappoint._

"_We can't tell you yet but I promise you it's gonna be okay." He reached a hand back to ruffle my hair affectionately. "We're not gonna let anything happen to you kiddo." Although I know he meant well, his words didn't exactly fill me with confidence. Instead I couldn't help but start wondering exactly WHAT might possibly happen to me, that their protecting me from. Dad seemed to be oblivious to my worries. "We have something for you."_

_He looked to mum as if for permission for something, to which she gave him when she nodded briskly, then leaned across carefully and unclipped the necklace, an anniversary present from him for the year I was born, from around her neck. Next, cradling it in one hand he reached towards his own throat and pulled the worn leather cord containing his father's plain silver wedding band from his neck. I saw him untie the cord and unclipped the thick sliver chain of mum's necklace and slide the ring into it._

_He turned awkwardly in his seat, reached over and re-clipped the chain around my neck, letting the ring and my mother's little sliver flying dragon charm drop down on my chest. I looked at it in the palm of my hand and gently stroked the dragon with my thumb, genuinely speechless, the current situation momentarily forgotten. I knew these things meant a lot to my parents and even though I figured I'd inherit them one day, when I was older and they'd passed on, or perhaps if I ever got married, but the thought that they would trust me with them now at fourteen years of age warmed me deeply. He smiled at me proudly from his seat. I even saw my mother manage a sad smile in the reflection of the car wind mirror. I tried to speak but for once I really was speechless, and that didn't happen very often._

_A sudden, violent thud made me jump in my seat as the car shuddered. A bright light flashed somewhere in front of us and dad was thrown back roughly into his seat as sparks flew and the car's engine creaked and rumbled. I didn't want to scream, I really didn't, I always tried so hard to be touch like mum, but this time I couldn't help the startled screech that sprang from my lips as the car rocked on its frame. The next thing I knew we were spinning, faster and faster in a vicious circle like a spinning top, until finally the vehicle couldn't take it anymore and I briefly glanced a group of black figures stood in front of the flames up ahead of us before we were flipped cruelly onto our backs and then up until my seat belt cut into my shoulders and it took me a moment to realise I was hanging upside down in my seat._

_I'm not sure how long I hung there, maybe a moment, maybe a minute, before I finally had the sense to hit the eject button on my seat belt as the smell of burning fumes invaded my nose and crept up and throat. I hit the roof/floor hard, landing awkwardly on my side, feeling the grit from floor/ceiling patter down onto my face. Behind me I heard the car groan and felt it sway as dad shuffled around in the tight space and mum struggle to free herself from her own seat belt. I coughed hoarsely and heard dad do the same as the space inside started to fill with black smoke. I've never been claustrophobic before but I could already feel a panic attack looming at the thought of being trapped in here with these fumes and knew that if I got out of here I would from then on, become so._

"_Is everyone alright, Hope, Abby?" It took me a couple of tries to answer dad's question as my voice came out more like a croak but I finally managed to squeak out a "Yes." I didn't catch mum's reply but I could feel her struggles becoming more and more frantic and the car moved more and more on its frame._

_Finally I heard her yell, "I'm stuck!" and saw dad's dark outline scoot over to her as I twisted my body awkwardly round to face them. Her feet thumped loudly on the dashboard into her heavy boots and she kicked hard against them trying to lever herself up and out of her seat belt while dad fiddled with the eject button, thumping it with his fist at one point in frustration, anger, and just a little glimmer of fear._

_I wasn't completely sure but I thought I caught the sound of footsteps, boots crunching on gravel walking leisurely towards us. My parent's voice's floated towards me through the rising walls of smoke. "Hang on love, I'll get you out, I think there's a knife in the dash box."_

_That surprised me even more if it were possible as my parents have never been violent people, but I did not have very much time to reflect on it before my mother cried out, "Just pass it to me then get her out of here, I'll cut myself loose and follow." I knew my father would be reluctant to leave her but that parental instinct kicked in first and he set about rolling onto his back and used his legs to kick open the door on his side until it budged just enough for him to shimmy his slim body out of it onto the pavement outside._

"_Cover your eyes." I heard his call and managed to lift one arm up and sling it across my face just as his foot broke through the window and glass scattered everywhere on the inside of the up-turned car. I felt the shards scatter against my clothes but did not have the energy to react as the toxic fumes inside the car were making me dizzy and sluggish. I lifted my heavy head and looked at my dad as he crawled in over the broken glass and lent close over me. I saw the fear in his face and felt a couple of finger tips press against the nape of my neck. His relief was visible._

"_Hang on sweetie, I'll get you out, just hold on to me." I felt his hand slide under my back and another hooked under my knees and pulled me upwards until I rested in his arms as he fell back onto his hunches. He shuffled out awkwardly and I tried to help as best I could by clinging close to his chest but I felt as though my energy had been drain out of me like water down a plug hole. _

_The breeze that ruffled my hair as we pulled out was warmed by the fire that had broken out down the road but to me it felt like the coolest sweetest breeze I've ever felt after been stuck in that clammy car. I felt my dad straighten and stagger a dozen paces or so away from the vehicle before he dropped down to his knees again and began carefully lowering me down onto the pavement. My head touched the road and I managed to force my eyes open just enough to see his faces hovering fuzzily about a foot or so from my own. His black hair fell across his dark eyes as he looked at me gently and I felt his hand brush against my cheek, moving my own hair, ebony like his, away from my face. _

"_I'll be right back honey, I promise. I'm just going to help get your mum out then I'll be right back, just stay here. Don't move." _

_I rolled painfully onto my side and wiped my eyes with my hoodie sleeve as I watched him walk away. My lungs felt as though they were seared from the inside and I had a sudden vision of the black, tobacco stain lungs of smokers and found myself severally hoping there wasn't any permanent damage. Dad was just a few feet away from the battered car when I heard mum scream out his name and a sudden shot rang out and dad tripped and staggered. I could only watch in horror as his shadowy form slumped over and he dropped onto his front. Mums kicking became so frantic to a point that I could actually hear her feet thumping against the side of the car and finally, she fell free with a thump and managed to crawl out, over the up-turned car seats and through the shattered window that dad had pulled me out of. I suddenly felt my eye lids grown unbearably heavy as they slowly started to close and the last, blurry image I saw was that of my mother skirting around the car and throwing herself over my fathers crumpled body as my world went black and somewhere in the mist of everything I was vaguely aware of the sensation of being watched, as though someone was else was there behind me, standing over me. The last conscious thought in my mind was that I hoped dad was okay, before I drifted off into sweet oblivion…._

I snapped awake with a start and nearly hit my head on the corner of the cupboard next to the stiff caravan bench, covered by a mattress that had no right to be called a bed. I may have missed the corner of it but instead my head hit right home on its smooth, hard side making stars explode behind my eyes. One-handing my head I eased myself slowly upright into a sitting position and forced myself to breathe as the pain and panic gradually subsided. Once I was certain I wasn't going to pass out, I rubbed the sleep out of my eyes and looked around the gloomy interior of our new home away from homes, wondering what the hell it was that had actually woken me.

"Sorry bout that." Kenzi's called over through the walky-talky that had fallen face down on the table next to Electra who was passed out, legs akimbo, draped over the seat just ahead of me. I could just about make her out sat in the driver's seat of our car through the dark window at the front of the caravan, although she was barely more than the outline of a ghost.

"Nearly dozed off, think we might have to pull over for the night unless you or Ms Grizzly bear there wants to take over." Kenzi's voice continued to crackle through the intercom. "I can hear her snoring from in here and not just through the walky-talky." I flipped back the thin blankets we'd thrown onto the so-called bed and swung my legs over until my feet touched the floor, fumbling for the walky-talky. I grasped it and held it between trembling hands and it took me a couple of try's to hit the talk button with my thumb and hold it down firmly.

"Yeah might be an idea, I mean rather than risk killing us all and throwing us into a burning ditch and all that. I can see what you mean about Lec. Have you ever noticed that she always lies in the strangest positions when she's really out of it? I'd normally go over to the fridge and pull out the can of whipped cream to use on her at this point but I just don't think I have the energy to right now."

I tried to make a joke out it, hoping against hope that my voice didn't come out as shakily on the other end as it sounded to me. My nightmare still had me rather rattled even if it wasn't the first time I've had it, or undoubtedly the last.

Kenzi wasn't buying it. Both fortunately and unfortunately for me, she seems to know better than I know myself.

"You were having the dream again weren't you?" Tact has never been something that Kenzi does well, in fact there's probably nobody on the planet who's more blunt than her.

I stumbled onto unsteady feet, feeling the walls as I went until I could plop myself down on the seat opposite Electra and drummed my fingers on the table. She groaned in front of me and rolled over until her head was resting on the edge of the table, her arms bent behind her and her knees tucked up under her chin. I resisted the urge to tell Kenzi about the thin trail of dribble staining the corner of her mouth and traveling across her cheek, knowing she would only take the mick out of her for days to come.

"I may or may not have been reliving certain memories that I do not wish to discuss." I heard Kenzi's sign through the speaker. "But before you ask I'm perfectly fine. Kinda gotten used to it by now, it's always been such a regular thing."

I could tell immediately from the prolonged silence on the other end of the line that Kenzi wasn't anywhere near satisfied with my answer but for the time being at least, she seemed content to let it slide.

"We're just passing through Shirley; we're along the A34, just coming up Stratford road." She answered my question before I even had the chance to ask it. "Hang on, I think there's a park just up here where we might be able to pull into for the night."

She pulled around something outside that I couldn't see, and then stopped. I heard her muttering something under her breathe through the walky-talky that she had clearly forgotten to turn off, then I felt the vehicles do a U-turn and head back around the way we came. More noise cackled through the intercom.

"Nope looks like we can't park in there but I think we literally just passed a huge car park further down the road so looks like we're just gonna have to make do and pull in there. Personally I'm so tired right now, I doubt that I would very much care if we park in a rubbish tip for the night as long as all the windows were rolled up tight!"

We drove on for what felt like little more than a few short moments at the most before I felt us pulling in somewhere again and come to a steady halt before Kenzi shut the engine off and the car became still. Parking done, I heard her car door slam shut as she hopped out and I raised myself up, off of the seat to meet her at the door. I opened it and caught a glimpse of our surroundings over her broad shoulders as she pushed her way past me into the van.

"You can have the bed, I'll take the other seat." I called back to her as she disappeared into the gloom. An exhausted grunt was my only reply, letting me know that she was far from happy with that situation, especially after my disturbed sleep so far but thankfully too tired to argue with me this time.

I stood in the door way for a little while after I heard her thrown herself down onto the would-be bed, taking in our new surroundings. We were in a spacious car park; I had guessed that much from Kenzi's earlier description, most of its car-sized slots empty apart from us and a battered looking rental on the other side of the lot. There was some sort of building looming up on my right, a little shopping center perhaps or something along those lines.

My wondering gaze was drawn towards two figures walking around from the other side of the building towards the other car. A young woman, early twenties maybe or somewhere in the middle, it's hard to tell from the distance, and a little girl, maybe nine or ten years old barely keeping pace beside her. About half way across the car park the woman stopped and pulled mobile phone out of her handbag, flipping it open and gesturing to the girl with her hand to carry on without her. The child simply rolled her eyes like it was normal and carried on until she had reached the car, leaning against and glaring across at the other woman in frustration. That made me chuckle and it took me a moment to realise the girl was now looking across at me. I gave her a smile but it froze on my face when I saw her.

It happened in a single second, one of those blink and you miss it type moments. A cold gust of wind blew past making the light bulb that was hanging loose from the head of the street lamp between us sway, casting the little girl in darkness for a moment. Only when the darkness touched her she was not a little girl anymore. Instead a small, short woman stood in her place, very petite and childlike in body but unmistakably an adult none the less, dress in a strange white robe that almost as pale as her unnaturally grey-white skin, splattered with scarlet stains, long pitch-black hair that hung in straight points down the sides of her faces and impossibly black, hungry, soulless eyes stared at me from across the lot. I almost fell forwards off of the step of the van, my hand quickly snatching up to grip the frame being the only thing that saved me from falling flat on my face. In this action I'd lost sight of the frightening woman and when I looked back I was little surprised to see the girl simply standing there looking my way curiously still. I have never been a fainter but it still took all of the strength I had not to collapse there and then into a heap on the pavement.

The woman across the road finished her phone call and jogged up to meet the girl, waving her hands in the air profusely. The two climbed into the car and pulled out of the car park, driving off somewhere further down the road. I didn't dare turn away until the car was out of sight, then I bolted back into the van, slamming the door shut behind me so hard that it caused the whole vehicle to shudder, making both Electra and Kenzi groan in their sleep and flung myself down onto the seat, pulling my hoodie tight around, wishing desperately that it was mums arms until I calmed down enough to sink back into a restless, haunted sleep.


End file.
